Rotary engine



(No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

P. L. MQILVAINE.

ROTARY ENGINE.

No. 330,504. Patented Nov. 17, 1885.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets- Sheet 2.-

' F. L. MoILVAINE.

ROTARY ENGINE. No. 330,504. Patented Nov. 17, 1885..

PATENT. tries.

FERREE L. .MOILVAINE, OF GAP, PENNSYLVANIA.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 330,504, dated November 17, 1885.

Application filed April 15, 1885. Serial No. 162,372. (No model.) 7

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FERREE L. MOILVAINE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gap, Lancaster county, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of rotary engines in which movable slides are employed to afford a foothold for the expansion of steam against the revolving pistons, said slides being automatically introduced and withdrawn as needed. The patents of O. L. Pagenhart, December 5, 1882, N 0. 268,722, and N. J. Pritchard, October 16, 1883, No. 286,844, are instances of this class of steam-engines; and my present invention may be considered as an improvement upon them.

Said invention consists partly in the combination of the steam-cylinder and two pistons rotating therein, with three slides and a camdisk, whereby all of said slides are actuated; partly in the combination of said cam-disk with a fixed stud bearing a frictionroller on each slide stem and a spring pressed movable stud bearing a friction roller opposite thereto, the cam-disk turning between said studs and the yielding stud preventing any loss of motion and consequent clattering; partly in the combination, with the pistons and the inlet ports and passages in their hub, of two steam-inlets, one of which is controlled by a valve, so that the steam may be admitted continuously or in jets, as desired; partly in the combination of theinlet and exhaust pipes with a four-way cock, to which they lead, and which serves to provide for reversing the engine, as desired; partly in the peculiar construction of the steam-cylinder, in combination with the pistons adapted to fit the same;

' partly in the peculiar construction of the piston-packing, and partly in various details of the construction and combination of the slides and other parts, substantially as hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a plan view of a rotary engine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a side elevation of the same, one of the three slides and slide-stems being removed. Fig. 3 represents a vertical longitudinal section through the cylinder, pistons, and proximate parts on the line as w of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 represents an end elevation of the bevel-gears and the supporting-frame. Fig. 5 represents an enlarged detail view of the two steam-inlet pipes and the valve which opens and closes one of them. Fig. 6 represents a side elevation of the steam-cylinder, taken from the discharge or exhaust side, a part of the case being broken away. Fig. 7 represents a similar view taken from the inlet side. Fig. 8 representsa detail view of one of the slides. Figs. 9, 10, 11, and

12 represent detail views of the hub, Figs. 9

and 10 showing, respectively, the inlet side and outlet side thereof, and Figs. lland 12 showing, respectively, sections on the lines 00 m and 3 y of Figs. 9 and 10.

A designates the bed-plate of the machine, which is slotted near one end to receive the cylinder, hereinafter described, an upright triangular frame, A, being supported at the other end of said bed-plate. In this frame the shafts, hereinafter described, are supported, suitable bearings being provided therefor. The form of the bedplate and supportingframe may be varied at will.

B designates the main shaft of the engine, which is arranged longitudinally and horizontally, and shown as provided with two beltwheels, B, and a bevel gear-wheel, B. Only one belt-wheel is really necessary, but I have placed one at each end of the shaft to indicate that it may occupy either position. Of course additional beltwheels may be used, if desired, or their form may be changed, or other kinds of gearing may be substituted, these features forming no part of my invention.

of the cylinder. The said bevel gear-wheel B on said shaft'is arranged near said frame A, and meshes with a bevel-wheel, C, of half the size, on a vertical shaft, O. This latter shaft carries also a third bevel-wheel, 0*, which. meshes in turn with a fourth bevelwheel, D, of equal size, which is sleeved freely on main shaft B, The sleeve d of said bevel wheel D has a clutch-connection with another sleeve, E, (also mounted freely on the main shaft,) which carries a cam-shaped disk, E, whereby the slides are operated. The con- The end of the driving-shaft B remote from frame A has bearings in the side walls.

nection between the sleeve (1 and the sleeve E may be permanent or separable, as pre ferred, but in either case they turn as one sleeve'in a direction opposite to that of the main shaft and twice as fast while the engine is in operation, their motion and that of said cam-disk E being derived from the main shaft B through said bevel-gears.

Each slide F is provided with a stem, F, secured to it by a dovetail connection, and also by a transverse pin, f, as shown in Fig. 8. Each one of these stems is provided with two studs, G G, which face inwardly and bear friction-rollers allowing the peripheral part of cam-disk E to turn between them. The stud G, which is the more remote from the slide, is stationary with respect to said stem, but the stud G, which is the nearer to said slide, is movable on the said stem toward and from said slide. A spring, 9, of helical form, located between said stud G and a fixed stop, 9, on said slide, forces said stud G toward said disk, and said stud G is further provided with a slot, 9, longitudinal with respect to stem F, which slot receives a guide-stud, 9 on said stem. The spring may be used with either stud. As the cam-disk E'rotates, italternately withdraws the slide by its pressure against stud G and forces the slide into the cylinder by its pressure on stud G. These motions depend on the shape of the cam-disk, as will be readily understood, and are repeated with each of the slides at predetermined intervals, as it becomes necessary to remove them from the path of the piston, each slide being replaced before another is moved. To provide for this action, the cam part of the disk occupies less than one-third of its circumference. The Spring 9 prevents all sudden shocks and JEIIS.

The steam-cylinder H consists of two shells or sections, bolted together face to face. This has, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, the shape in longitudinal cross-section of a figure having opposed semi-circles for its ends.

two parallel straight lines for its sides and two The section shown in Fig. 3 is taken through one of the rectangular slide-chambers I, which necessarily conform to the shape of the slides, a shallow extension, d, of said chamber being in the opposite side of cylinder H. These slideehambers extend toward the cam-disk, and have sufficient capacity outside of the steamcylinder H to entirely contain the slides when the latter are withdrawn. The said cylinder is provided with the necessary openings H for the admission of said slides, corresponding in location to said slide-chambers, and practically forming parts thereof. The shallow extension 1', already referred to, receives the end of the slide and insures the eifectual closing of the passage.

The operation of the slides'and pistons with respect to one another need not be elaborately described, as the general principle is to be found in the patents before referred to.

' degrees.

I employ two pistons, J, having, as shown in Fig. 3, the shapewhich exactly corresponds to that of the cross-section of the steam-cylinder beyond the hub. Their rounded ends and the similarly-curved interior of the cylinder make the packing of the engine easy, there being no corners to till. The packing for these pistons J consists in each instance, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, of a single strip of springmetal, K, strengthened with cross-ribs Is, to prevent it from springing out through the cylinder-openings, and set into the side grooves,

z, of the piston. (Shown in Figs. 6 and 7.)

Each slide F, as shown in Fig. 8, is provided in its inner edge with a longitudinal groove, f, which receives a packing-strip, f having guide-studs f. A spring, f, around each of these studs, forces the packing outward from said slide'against the piston-hub L, thus preventing the escape of steam. The outer edge of the slide is also grooved to allow the escape of air from the chambers of the cylinder when the slide enters them. The steam is supplied to hub L through two inlet-pipes, M M, or through one of these pipes only, as preferred. When only one of these is used, the other, M, is closed by a valve, N. Only one of these inlets communicates with the groove at a time, the other being closed by one of the bridges. As they alternate, opening and closing, the supply of steam is practically continuous, though delivered through these two difi'erent ports.

The hub, as shown in Figs. 9, 10, 11, and 12, is provided on each side with. an annular groove. The groove 1 on the outlet side is open, but the groove n on the inlet side is covered at certain intervals by bridges n. When one of these bridges comes opposite the inlet port, that port is closed, and consequently when only one inlet is used the steam will be supplied to the hub only in jets 5 but when two inlets are used, and arranged so that both cannot be closed simultaneously by said bridges, the supply of steam is practically continuous. The groove n discharges into the cylinder thirty degrees from the piston on which the steam is to operate. The slides are one hundred and twenty degrees apart and the distance from each point of discharge on the inlet side to the corresponding one on the exhaust side is also one hundred and twenty This prevents a free course between inlet and exhaust under any circumstances and compels the utilization of all the steam.

provided on each side with two packing-rings on either side of annular groove n or n, which are held in placeagainst the sides of the steamcylinder by springs placed in holes bored through the hub irom side to side; or I may IIO make a further passage through said hub, connecting the first holes with the interior of the cylinder and trust to steam-pressure for the same result.

I may use as a substitute for the construction shown a cam of ninety degrees, four slides, and three pistons, said cam revolving at triple speed in the direction opposite to that of the main shaft.

To enable me to reverse the engine at will, I connect both the inlet-pipe M and exhaustpipe 0 to afour-way cock or regulator,P,which also receives the live-steam pipe Q from the boiler (not shown) and communicates with a discharge pipe, R, whereby the exhausted steam is finally conveyed away. By turning this cock or regulator, Figs. 1, 2, 6, and 7,1 can readily reverse the functions of pipes M and O, and thus reverse also the rotation of the pistons, their hub, and the main shaft B,which is driven thereby. As pipe M is a branch of pipe M, and moreover closed at will, it cannot interfere with this operation.

Of course this engine may be used with com pressed air or any other suitable medium, and the arrangement of ports, grooves, pistons, &c., may be varied in any way which does not depart from the spirit of my invention.

In Fig. 3the slide F has a somewhat greater depth than the piston J, and consequently the slide, or its corresponding chamber, extends into the outer wall of the steam-cylinder H, thus closing, more effectually, the passage of steam when slide is in position, and obviating the use of packing on outer edge of slide.

Having thus described my invention, whatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a rotary engine, the combination ofthe stem-cylinder with two pistons rotating therein, three slides movable in and out of said cylinder to afford foot-hold for the steam in actuating said pistons,two inlets acting alternately, but affording a practically continuous supply, an independent outlet, and mechanism for reciprocating said slides successively, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the cam disk for actuating the slides with a slide-stem having a fixed stud and a yielding stud attached thereto and operating with said cam disk, substantially as set forth.

3. In combination with the rotating pistonhub having groove n and bridges n, the two inlet-pipes M M, one of which is provided with a valve for opening or closing it at will,

to make the flow of steam continuous or intermittent, as desired.

4. In a rotary engine, a rotary piston-hub provided on one side with an open annular groove. and on the other with an annular groove covered at certain intervals by bridges, substantially as set forth.

5. In a rotary engine, two inlets in combination with a revolving piston-hub having an annular groove on its inlet side, said groove being covered at certain intervals, and the arrangement of the parts being such that when ever one inlet is covered the other is open in order that the supply of steam or its equivalent may be continuous, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

F. L. MCILVAINE.

Witnesses:

A. P. KRAMER, J AOOB UMBLE. 

